The Elevator

William Dean Howells (1837 – 1920) was an American realist author, literary critic, and playwright. Nicknamed "The Dean of American Letters", he was particularly known for his tenure as editor of the Atlantic Monthly as well as his own prolific writings, including the Christmas story "Christmas Every Day", and the novels The Rise of Silas Lapham and A Traveler from Altruria.

“The Elevator” is a novel with elements that will make every reader want to compare it with a variety of other much-loved authors. The titular character contains elements of Fitzgerald's Gatsby, the trenchant social critique recalls Wharton, the plot could have been taken right out of the pages of Jane Austen. And, despite these comparisons, this novel is also all its own.